


Don't Touch The Masterpieces

by sahyoschild



Category: TWICE (Band)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Smut, alternative universe - artist au, enemies to lovers I guess, smut with a lot of plot, the jeongchaeng artist/art critic au no one asked for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:47:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23874169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sahyoschild/pseuds/sahyoschild
Summary: Chaeyoung is a successful artist with the ability to churn out exhibitions and sell plenty of pieces with her talent and charm. Everyone loves her work and she welcomes a life of praise until she meets Jeongyeon, an art critic who speaks her mind and challenges Chaeyoung. A few bad reviews later, Chaeyoung is confused about everything apart from one thing: she hates Jeongyeon for messing with her career.
Relationships: Son Chaeyoung/Yoo Jeongyeon
Comments: 5
Kudos: 115





	Don't Touch The Masterpieces

**Author's Note:**

> I got this idea and I couldn't get it out of my head so I had to write it. I was supposed to finish this for Chaeyoung's birthday but it's here now so hope you enjoy!

It still surprised Chaeyoung how many people flocked to see her art just like it did the first time it happened. So many people that were there not through obligation because they were her friends or because they were dragged in from the streets. They had all come because they had a desire to see and experience Chaeyoung’s work and that made her ridiculously giddy. 

The free alcohol was always a bonus, especially for Chaeyoung as she could hide her nerves with countless sips of wine. This time she used her glass to try to bury her wide smile spreading across her face. She couldn’t help it when there were so many people in the gallery and when she was genuinely excited about what she was displaying. 

There were several points of the process where Chaeyoung thought about giving up; thought about stabbing the end of her paintbrush through the canvas in frustration, but she didn’t. With much encouragement from her friends, she persevered. She lost her way many times, but eventually tried to find her route again in a pattern of lines and colours that flowed from her mind to the tip of the brush. She was happy with the result and hoped other people would be too. Judging by the hushed discussions floating around her, they were. 

“Chaeyoung!” Her attention was taken away from the crowd to Jihyo, the gallery owner, who was walking towards her. She had a joy on her face that ran all the way down to her arms which were extended out wide. “What a turnout, huh? Congratulations.”

“I should be thanking you.” Chaeyoung got pulled into a hug and showed her gratitude towards Jihyo by squeezing her back. This wasn’t the first time Jihyo had let Chaeyoung hold a show in her gallery, but she was still incredibly thankful for her kindness. Jihyo always had so much faith in her and her work. 

Jihyo pulled away and batted her hand in the air modestly, “Ah it’s nothing. I just supply the room, you’re the one who makes the space something to talk about.”

Barely giving Chaeyoung much time to react to her praises, Jihyo already had her hands on her shoulders, pushing her from behind, “Come on. I want to introduce you to some people.”

Chaeyoung knew the drill. She’d talk to some faces that she knew or some that were new. Shake some hands, laugh at some jokes and turn on her charm. Easy. Jihyo had been in the art business a few years longer than her and had a lot of connections thanks to running a gallery. So Chaeyoung didn’t mind Jihyo manoeuvring her to speak to countless people as long as she sold a few pieces of her collection by the end of the night. 

This evening ran very similar to that formula. Chaeyoung giggled at a story told by some old man whose name she instantly forgot as soon as the syllables left his mouth. She made sure to dip her head and shut her eyes in a cute manner that she knew worked so well. The dimples that always appeared on the surface of her cheeks whenever she smiled or even spoken passionately worked as the pièce de résistance amongst the art collection that was her facial features and expressions. They were always followed by words of interest in a certain piece and a handshake which sealed the deal and this evening was no different. The interest made the smile on Chaeyoung’s face spread to her eyes. 

“Thank you so much. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” Chaeyoung called as the guy walked off to explore the rest of her show. She continued to walk side by side with Jihyo, basking in the ambience.

“Okay, there’s one more person I want to introduce you to.” Jihyo informed Chaeyoung. 

Jihyo’s steps guided Chaeyoung between groups of people and towards a wall which hung a particular piece, abundant in colour and abstract style. It was funny how certain pieces reminded Chaeyoung of where she was and what she was thinking about at the time, just like how songs conjured up memories. This one reminded her of eating leftover tteokbokki in her art studio on a cool evening. Her phone lighting up beside her with a message from her roommate, Tzuyu, scolding her for missing their favourite drama. She had quickly replied to Tzuyu’s messages, putting the finishing details to the bottom of the painting which, as Chaeyoung looked at it hung up on the wall now, was covered by a tall woman standing in front of the canvas. Her back was turned to Chaeyoung as she observed the piece and although Chaeyoung was sure it wouldn’t manifest thoughts of chilli and blue light for her, she hoped they were just as positive.

“Jeongyeon?” Jihyo said as they came closer and the woman instantly turned around. Her straight line mouth tugged at the ends into a smile as she saw Jihyo. Chaeyoung thought she recognised her face but not from this context. 

Jihyo turned to look at Chaeyoung, “Chaeyoung, this is Yoo Jeongyeon. She’s an art critic.”

As Jeongyeon’s smile dropped as her gaze shifted to the artist, Chaeyoung remembered where she knew her from. She pictured her wearing shin pads and a jersey, hockey stick in hand; she pictured her by the kiln in her old art teacher’s classroom; she pictured her halfway down the hallway by the lockers, chatting animatedly with friends. 

Chaeyoung pictured her younger self crushing hard on her. 

“Oh my god, Jeongyeon.” Chaeyoung was taken aback in delight and surprise. “Actually Jihyo we already know each other. We went to high school together.”

Chaeyoung offered a hand out to Jeongyeon instead of a hug considering it had almost been a decade since they were in school together. Jeongyeon accepted it, firm and short. It possessed a level of professionalism that strangers would enact, not people who had been on the same hockey team or in the same lunchtime art club. 

“The programme just said Chaeyoung.” Jeongyeon said dryly, referencing to the small booklet in her hands. Her face barely twitched at Chaeyoung’s connection. 

Chaeyoung shifted her weight on her hips, feeling restless and embarrassed. She was certain that she was the same Yoo Jeongyeon she knew years back, only with less rounded checks and more sharp lines and piercing features. Possibly even taller.

“Ah yeah. Well, I guess there’s a level of performativity within art.”

“Mhm,” Jeongyeon merely nodded, eyes scanning the room and Chaeyoung couldn’t read them to tell what she thought. They were expressionless or well concealed.

“It’s so nice to see you after all these years.” Chaeyoung tried again but only received a simple nod. 

“It’s helpful to put a face to the art.” Jeongyeon stated and Chaeyoung offered her a polite smile as if presenting her face to a security guard checking the legitimacy of her ID. The smile Chaeyoung hoped she’d receive in return, the one she had always loved to see on the other side of the field, was instead directed at Jihyo. 

“Good to see you, Jihyo.” Jeongyeon tone matched her smile, totally out of place for the rest of the dry conversation she had with Chaeyoung, and then she walked away slowly, inspecting the artworks on the walls as she went. This time it made Chaeyoung’s stomach fill with nerves. 

“She’s not normally like that.” Jihyo reassured her as they watched Jeongyeon leave. Chaeyoung, world out of kilter, couldn’t agree more. 

* * *

Chaeyoung was shocked that she’d never seen Jeongyeon at events before. It wasn’t like Jeongyeon was new to the art world as when Chaeyoung got home that night, she immediately googled the woman and tens of results all stating Jeongyeon’s gallery downtown and reputation as an art critic appeared.

Once she saw her, it was like Chaeyoung couldn’t avoid her, coming face to face with Jeongyeon’s words in the theatre, art and film selection in an online newspaper. 

“She called me boring, Tzuyu.”

“No, she didn’t.” Tzuyu rolled her eyes as she used a damp cloth to wipe down a table next to the one Chaeyoung was slumped at. 

“Yeah, not specifically.” Chaeyoung’s jaw was set in annoyance, eyes locked with her phone screen, “Instead she wrote ‘ _the exhibition opens with intent and purpose shown through the beautiful lines and use of colour, but that’s where the praise finishes.’”_ Chaeyoung crooked an eyebrow and looked at Tzuyu. 

“That’s good.” Tzuyu offered, but Chaeyoung only tutted at the praise. 

“Hang on, she’s not finished,” Chaeyoung then added a mocking tone to her words as she read on, “‘ _The second half is completely detached from the first. Neither does the shift seem to be planned as it ruins the whole focus like it was two collections the artist last-minute forced together in a conceited effort to wow. Instead it creates the opposite effort. Miss Son seems to have completely lost interest in her art by the end of the exhibition, just as I did about 15 minutes after arriving at the show._ ’ _”_

Tzuyu winced as Chaeyoung finished reading. “Hmm, it’s not great...”

“It’s horrible, Tzuyu! She completely destroyed my show.” Chaeyoung exclaimed, feeling her emotions catch up with her and clog up her throat. She locked her phone and threw it on the table with a dull clatter. 

Worry in her eyes and hands scrunching up the sides of her apron, Tzuyu watched her best friend bury her head in her arms on the table.

“Hang on,” Chaeyoung heard Tzuyu call, but didn’t lift her head up to watch her leave or see where she was going. Maybe there was a new customer she needed to serve. She heard Tzuyu’s footsteps quieten as the left, inadvertently leaving Chaeyoung to her own thoughts. 

She’d had bad reviews before. Ones that called her incompetent to the art world or having no artist flare of her own, but that was when she first started her work as an artist several years ago. She thought she’d got the hang of this by now, had learnt from people like Jihyo how to get up the ladder and manage her perfectionism and sense of self-doubt, but obviously that wasn’t the case. Practically coming out of thin air in a form of dark clothing and stoic expressions, Jeongyeon had prised away her grip on her reality so fast that Chaeyoung felt disoriented. Only anger and confusion remained along with canvas that apparently made no sense, like CDs in the wrong cases.

Chaeyoung heard footsteps sound closer to her table again in the pattern that could only be Tzuyu. She heard the distinctive clink of ceramic and then metal placed on the tabletop. A typical noise that echoed off the walls in the café. 

Chaeyoung’s sense of intrigue spiked at the noise and she lifted her head to rest her chin on her hands. Tzuyu sat opposite her. A thick slice of chocolate cake was placed on the table in between them. 

Tzuyu simply nodded at the cake. She had seen the sadness that hung in Chaeyoung’s eyes when she left, one that threatened to spill in tears as she looked back at them now, so she hoped something sweet would help her take her mind off things. At least for a few minutes. 

Reaching a hand for the fork on the table, Chaeyoung picked at the sides, watching the sponge break off into little crumbs and the frosting to catch on a prong as she ran the fork across it lost in thought. Tzuyu watched her continue this, pushing the cake around and occasionally eating small bites. 

“Eat it properly or otherwise I’ll give it to someone who will pay for it.” Tzuyu warned. Although she owned the café, she didn’t feel good about wasting cake on someone who wasn’t going to appreciate it.

“You shouldn’t sell half-eaten cake.” Chaeyoung pouted back quietly, “It’s bad business.” 

Tzuyu hummed in understanding, appreciating the fact Chaeyoung’s sense of humour was buried somewhere underneath all that brooding.

“She just used to be so nice.” Chaeyoung said as she placed the fork on the plate, too distracted to be hungry. 

“You guys were close?” Dragging the plate closer to her, Tzuyu started to eat at the leftover cake as she listened. 

Chaeyoung shook her head. “No, she’s a few years older than me. I got into the hockey team and she left the following year to go to uni, probably to study how to be such an asshole.”

Instantly Chaeyoung was scolded. Tzuyu raised her eyebrows at her in a disapproving manner and Chaeyoung silently replied by rolling her eyes. Tzuyu didn’t push further, understanding her friend needed to be grumpy to process in a strange way.

“She used to be everyone’s favourite player on the field. I remember when she left for uni she came back to watch a game and coached and cheered from the sideline. She always helped others and was always the last one to leave art club because she was washing up art supplies for the teacher.” Chaeyoung reminisced and Tzuyu couldn’t help smiling.

“You had a crush on her.” Tzuyu mused, pointing the fork in her hand at Chaeyoung who didn’t even look surprised by Tzuyu’s revelation.

“Of course I had a crush on her.” Chaeyoung agreed like Tzuyu had asked the most obvious question ever. “I was in the closet and she was my ideal type: pretty, sporty, arty and funny.” Chaeyoung’s face dropped when she remembered reality, “It’s like she’s had a personality transplant or something.”

Maybe you shouldn’t get to know your high school crushes, Chaeyoung thought to herself. Their personality becomes reality and so much further than the one you created for them based on a selection of traits you observed. They’re never as perfect as you think and this was definitely the case with Jeongyeon. Instead of the warm glow Chaeyoung had kindled for Jeongyeon in her teenage heart, her reality was cold and harsh and it put a sour taste across the whole of Chaeyoung’s high school experience. 

“This is just one review, Chaeng.” Tzuyu reminded her as she saw no lift in her demeanour. Sadly cake didn’t solve everything, “Things will get better.”

Chaeyoung agreed with Tzuyu. Things would get better, or at least she and her art would. She’d make them. 

* * *

Chaeyoung found herself at another art show a few weeks afterwards, squeezed into a casual dress that Tzuyu picked out of her wardrobe for her. All the dressing up was for a good cause as she was attending Seulgi’s exhibition. Seulgi was a good friend and incredibly talented and this show was no exception to that. Her style was everywhere, across every inch of the canvases hung around the gallery. Chaeyoung felt a sense of pride and admiration towards her friend as she walked around the gallery and wanted to go find and congratulate her. 

Searching through the room and dodging past groups of people, offering small smiles as she went, Chaeyoung tried to find Seulgi. On her way she stopped and someone caught her attention from the corner of her eye. It wasn’t Seulgi, but Jeongyeon stood by herself studying a painting. With her hands in her pockets of her suit trousers and her weight resting on one side of her hip, Chaeyoung couldn’t tell whether she was bored or concentrating. She hated that unreadable expression and the way the bad side of it made her feel so deflated and frustrated. She hoped Seulgi wouldn’t receive the former of the two as her show did not deserve a fate as hers had received from Jeongyeon. Either way, Chaeyoung felt herself gravitate towards the older girl. 

“Here to give someone else a shitty review?” The curse word probably wasn’t necessary, but the closer Chaeyoung walked towards Jeongyeon, the less patience she had with the other woman simply being here. Two weeks had passed and she was still evidently seething. 

Jeongyeon turned towards the voice and in the face of Chaeyoung’s set jaw, anger boiling underneath her tongue, she simply smiled. It was like she was drawing happiness from the thought of the bad review she had given her.

“No, but I see you’re here to take tips from someone else.” Jeongyeon quipped back and Chaeyoung scoffed. They locked eyes and Chaeyoung had a dying urge to wipe off that smirk teasing Jeongyeon’s lips. Sadly here in a crowded gallery where her reputation could be at stake wasn’t a good place to start a fight. She saw the image of Tzuyu’s look of disapproval in the back of her mind and chose to bite her tongue.

“I’m here to support a friend.” Chaeyoung replied bluntly and Jeongyeon nodded briefly. 

She should have left and carried on her pursuit of Seulgi, but she couldn’t. Her feet felt firmly set. She totted it down to the anger coursing through her so hot that it welded the soles of her shoes to the floor. Crossing her arms, Chaeyoung tried to distract herself and focus on the painting in front of them. In her peripheral vision she saw Jeongyeon staring at it too, hands still firmly resting in her pockets, more relaxed and obviously less affected by Chaeyoung’s presence as Chaeyoung was by hers.

“What do you think of this?” Jeongyeon asked, almost nonchalantly like they were two friends taking a cultural break to visit a gallery together. 

“Do you even care about my opinion?” Chaeyoung challenged, moving her head to the right to wait for Jeongyeon’s answer. Her eyes met ones that looked back at her and studied her form and cold expression like they had just been studying the details of the painting only minutes before. Taking in her curves in the dress as she had taken in the curvature of the brushstrokes made on the canvas.

She quickly adverted herself from Jeongyeon’s pressing gaze and looked back at the painting, taking in its colours, patterns and styles. She thought about Jeongyeon's question. 

“It’s amazing.” Chaeyoung simply stated and Jeongyeon hummed in agreement. It was the first time they’d ever agreed on anything. Chaeyoung was surprised, but didn’t let it rearrange her features in any way, still maintaining an expression of concentration. 

“The colours are so bright, but the way she’s scratched into the paints adds so much dimension and depth of shadows.” Chaeyoung spoke but was aware of the fact Jeongyeon was watching her as she discussed the piece. Then she became _very_ aware of the fact Jeongyeon moved to stand behind her. Getting a better look at the canvas from Chaeyoung’s point of view. 

“You mean sgraffito?” Jeongyeon had moved so close to her that she could feel the exhale of air from her laughter brush up against her neck. Chaeyoung swallowed thickly. 

“I knew that.” Chaeyoung couldn’t tell whether it was the lack of personal space or Jeongyeon correcting her on artistic techniques that made her madder. Jeongyeon, on the other hand, seemed unbothered by both. 

“You’re right, it does add to the painting. It works so well by itself and part of the collection.” And then Chaeyoung swore Jeongyeon leant in closer; she could smell her perfume, “if you look closely there’s a lot of sgraffito decoration. There’s so much going on, but it’s so simple too. It’s gorgeous.” 

The last two words hit particularly hard as Jeongyeon practically whispered them. Chaeyoung felt them trickle down the length of her neck. Instinctively Chaeyoung tilted her head. She would have tilted it with the intention of offering more of her neck to the whispers if they weren’t from Jeongyeon, but instead, it was an attempt to move away. She cleared her throat. An attempt to escape the moment. She reminded herself she was angry with Jeongyeon, not existing in this moment they’d made together. 

Chaeyoung stepped to the side and brought a hand up to scratch the back of her neck, trying to bring some other sensation than the one that tingled down her spine. 

“I’m working on a new show.” Chaeyoung’s eyes didn’t meet Jeongyeon. 

“Really?” It was a question, but Jeongyeon barely sounded intrigued like she had already decided how to feel and how to review the show. 

“Yeah,” Chaeyoung nodded, “it’s going to be different, but I’m excited.”

Jeongyeon didn’t sound excited.

“Hmm,” Jeongyeon looked back at the painting for a few seconds, thinking. Then she rummaged around in her bag, “I have something that might be useful.” 

Pulling out a small piece of card, she extended her arm to Chaeyoung who accepted it with hesitation. Chaeyoung thought more about why Jeongyeon would be gifting her something and not the way their hands lightly brushed as she took it. 

“Here. My card if you need any help. Or art lessons.”

As clear as day it read ‘Yoo Jeongyeon’, and a number and address for her studio. She didn’t need to study it long for the anger boiling in her stomach to return. She wanted to scrunch it in her hand or tear it up. Tell Jeongyeon what she thought of the spiteful gesture. Chaeyoung has offered her opinion to Jeongyeon like an olive branch, which Chaeyoung thought Jeongyeon had kindly taken. She thought they had made progress, but Chaeyoung was sure when she’d lift her head up, Jeongyeon would be wearing that smirk that revelled in crushing Chaeyoung’s world. 

“What the fu-”

But Jeongyeon was nowhere to be seen, dispersed into the crowds around her. 

Chaeyoung didn’t even think about going to find her friends. She wanted to escape the gallery and thought of Jeongyeon somewhere in the room like a spectre haunting her. She chose to leave, drive to her studio and paint. Prove Jeongyeon wrong.

* * *

A month later, Chaeyoung was back in Jihyo’s gallery, greeting critics and art dealers with her canvas-selling smile. 

Chaeyoung hadn’t lied when she said this show would be different. It came in the form of black and dark greys. Choosing to focus on the art itself without the distractions of vibrant colours. This, paralleled with her anger clouding the forefront of her mind in the shape of Jeongyeon’s unbothered eyes and hands in her pockets, fuelled her art and she finished the exhibition in record time. 

Tzuyu occupied her to her show, hanging off her arm like a glamorous date, but Chaeyoung knew that Tzuyu was here as a protective barrier from Jeongyeon’s presence. Tzuyu didn’t want to find a video of her best friend putting someone’s head through a canvas all over twitter the following morning.

She did also have ulterior motives. Tzuyu reminded Chaeyoung that despite being best friends since university and Jihyo offering her gallery up to the inner workings of Chaeyoung’s mind for years now, Chaeyoung had never introduced the pair. When she finally introduced them that night, she realised why her subscious had refrained her for so long. They hit it off instantly, the pair standing so close that it was like they’d known each other for years; vicariously through Chaeyoung they had. Chaeyoung didn’t mind, happy to watch Tzuyu release her grip on her arm and weave it through Jihyo’s arm throughout the course of the night. Happy to agree on getting a taxi home as Tzuyu gushed how Jihyo had offered to show her around and behind the scenes of her gallery.

That had been almost an hour ago and Chaeyoung had been fending for herself since. She’d received handshake sealed business deals and compliments, but they weren’t the seal of approval she was looking for. They weren’t from the person she’d channelled her inspiration through. The process had been a self-deprecating and moody one but she didn’t care about the sleepless journey as long as she saw the light on the other side. The light of the white gallery walls with her artwork hung upon them. 

Yet her work didn’t feel like the light that warmed her skin though. She didn’t get the usual feeling from it. Chaeyoung knew what she needed for her to feel the heat and it made her so mad that she had become so desperate for approval from a person who obviously didn’t care about her. 

But it didn’t stop her from loitering around as the groups of people started to die down. She scuffed her feet against the flooring, looking more like a kid who’d been dragged to a gallery and not someone who was supposed to be proudly showing off her art. 

“Miss me?” Chaeyoung couldn’t help feeling her heartbeat race at the voice. The sound bounced off walls and into the cavity of her chest. 

As soon as she looked up to see Jeongyeon strolling towards her, shoes clicking against the floor as she wore glasses and her signature smirk, Chaeyoung rolled her eyes trying to ignore the thumping in her chest with every step Jeongyeon took. 

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Chaeyoung tutted and gave Jeongyeon a disapproving look to seal the facade. 

“I saw you looking around for something. Or someone.” Jeongyeon slipped her hands in her pockets when she reached Chaeyoung who had begun to feel irritated. Irritated at herself for waiting for a person who was so self-centred. 

“Well, you gave me _such_ a positive review last time I was just curious whether I’d get the same treatment now.” Chaeyoung looked into Jeongyeon’s eyes, trying to burn her gaze into her retinas. Jeongyeon just dismissed the intensity with a grin that teased with red hot sweetness. 

“Now where’s the fun in spoiling the surprise?”

“Where’s the fun in writing bad reviews, but somehow you revel in that.”

Jeongyeon scoffed at Chaeyoung, almost like she was impressed. Chaeyoung didn’t want it. She didn’t want validation for her fury, the feeling of it lapping hot in the veins was enough. She convinced herself she didn’t want anything from Jeongyeon anymore. Just wanted her gone so she could regain some sense of sanity in her work. 

Jeongyeon turned away from her and began pacing. Slowly pacing around Chaeyoung who was in the centre of the room as she took in the gallery one more time. 

“It’s better.” Jeongyeon said with a short nod like that was her final answer. Chaeyoung crooked an eyebrow. 

“That’s hardly a compliment when you called my last show, what was it? “Conceited and forced”?” Chaeyoung recalled through narrow eyes. She felt the words etched into her skin. They tingled like healing wounds in the space between her shoulder blades and she rolled her shoulders in an attempt to numb the itch.

Jeongyeon stopped pacing and looked at her. “I can feel you painting, Chaeyoung.”

“Is that some phrase I missed when I didn’t attend a fancy art school?” Chaeyoung had no patience for cryptics nor the way her name sounded on Jeongyeon’s tongue. 

Jeongyeon stared back at her, eyes full of something and as always, Chaeyoung couldn’t read it. She wanted to punch out the lenses in Jeongyeon’s glasses, pluck out her eyes and see what Jeongyeon could see, or couldn’t in her work. 

“Look,” Jeongyeon said, like she could read minds and was replying to Chaeyoung’s silent ask. She closed the distance between them by sliding a hand to Chaeyoung’s side. Using this as leverage, she spun them around to face a particular painting. Chaeyoung stared blankly at her art, mind too dizzy to focus like she’d been spun and spun around in a Viennese waltz. 

“I know where every single stroke is.” Jeongyeon felt Chaeyoung shift a little but kept her hand firm on her side. It didn’t move, just kept Chaeyoung constant and presence in the moment. A little too present. Jeongyeon continued, “There’s no mystery to your paintings. There’s no masterpiece. It doesn’t work by itself and it doesn’t work within the collection.”

The firm but gentle contact of her touch and her spiteful words didn’t match. Jeongyeon was creating distance between them with her critique but they’d never been closer as she held Chaeyoung’s waist. Chaeyoung felt annoyance bubble inside of her and it magnified the place where Jeongyeon held her side, burning like it was branding a handprint into her skin. 

“And somehow that’s better than last time?”

“Mhm, but that’s just my opinion.” And with that comment, Jeongyeon left and walked out of the gallery. 

Eyes still glued to the painting in front of her, Chaeyoung didn’t look back to watch Jeongyeon leave, only heard the clicking of her shoes get quieter and quieter until they were gone. Her mind was spaced, but Chaeyoung swore Jeongyeon had squeezed her side lightly before she disappeared. 

* * *

“‘ _Another lacklustre exhibition from Son Chaeyoung. The artist’s last show was only a month ago and the quick turnaround is nothing to praise; it only highlights how rushed and unrefined the work on display is. It’s like Miss Son has something to prove with the quantity of her shows, but is yet to prove anything of her talent.’”_

It was like deja vu. Chaeyoung was back in Tzuyu’s coffee shop, sitting on the same table as last time. She was hunched over her phone, worrying the inside of her cheek in frustration; she would draw blood if she dug any harder. Tzuyu sat on the opposite side of the table, willing her best friend with positive reinforcements and distraction to stop reading and hurting herself. The one thing that was different was that this was the second review Chaeyoung had received from Jeongyeon and the memory of the first had been lingering in her mind for over a month now.

“At least she forewarned you this time.” Chaeyoung had debriefed Tzuyu on her odd and aggravating encounter with Jeongyeon when they reconvened that evening - at least Tzuyu had had a better night with Jihyo than Chaeyoung had with Jeongyeon. So Tzuyu attempted to reassure Chaeyoung, but the girl in front of her groaned loudly, rubbing her face with her hands. Tzuyu feared she was about to cry. 

“I don’t think that makes it any better to read,” Her head felt heavy so she rested it on her arms which lay on the table as she looked out of the cafe window. It was dark, streets illuminated in spots by street lamps, “It just confirms that I’m a terrible artist.”

“No, you’re not.” Tzuyu said with so much intention that it broke Chaeyoung’s sombre gaze out the window and she looked back at her with heavy eyes. “I literally read a review this morning whilst opening up that wrote how your _“refrain from colour and use of space is mesmerising._ ”

Chaeyoung barely reacted at the review that had made her heart swell when Tzuyu had sent the link to her this morning. Instead it made her huff and she mumbled her words into her arms, feeling the vibrations. “Well, Jeongyeon doesn’t seem to think so. I can’t win with her.”

“Why do you need to?” Tzuyu tilted her head in confusion, wondering how Jeongyeon had such a stranglehold on Chaeyoung’s emotions. “You’ve had so many other good reviews about this show and previous ones. What’s so special about Jeongyeon’s opinion?”

Studying her friend, Tzuyu saw a war of emotions battle behind Chaeyoung’s eyes that Chaeyoung didn’t dare to vocalise. Tzuyu scoffed in understanding and a knowing smile brushed over her lips.

“You have a crush on her again.” 

Chaeyoung didn’t rush to accept Tzuyu’s revelation as she had before. This time it sounded more like an accusation to Chaeyoung and she knotted her eyebrows in disgust. “No, I don’t. Why would I be crushing on someone so mean?”

“I wouldn’t completely blame you, she’s hot.” Tzuyu said, recalling the few times she’d caught glimpses of her in Jihyo’s gallery or on Chaeyoung’s phone screen when she scrolled down the website of her gallery. 

“I don’t want to think about that.” She wanted to focus her fury instead. 

“I beg to differ when I heard you moaning her name the other night.”

“Tzuyu,” Chaeyoung hissed under a hushed breath. Her eyes were wide with panic. She scanned the coffee shop for anyone listening in. It had been a slip of the tongue. A moment of weakness on the cusp of ecstasy as she thought she felt Jeongyeon’s hand on her hip in the darkness of her room. 

“Calm down, there’s barely anyone here.” Tzuyu laughed in the face of Chaeyoung’s panic. Chaeyoung was one of the coolest people she knew. At university she had been drawn to her calm demeanour amongst the chaos of classes, extracurricular activities and life. But that confident Chaeyoung she knew and loved was buried under a pile of anxieties and doubt. Anger unloaded on top of those like a dump truck. 

“She’s really got under your skin, huh?” Tzuyu asked rhetorically and then jumped off her seat, scanning around her to assess the damage in her cafe. She took the tea towel from out of the front pocket of her apron and playfully smacked Chaeyoung with it, bringing her out of her stupor. 

“Come on, help me close up and then we can go do something to take your mind off all this.”

* * *

Chaeyoung had wanted to disagree with Tzuyu when she commented on how Jeongyeon had gotten under her skin, but it would be stupid to deny when the older girl was all she could think about. She was so far under her skin that she practically lived there. Chaeyoung had made a whole exhibition for her for god’s sake; one that Jeongyeon had hated.

She had managed to grasp hold of some reality before, but now with two terrible reviews, she had slipped and fallen into the deep end. Painting was a challenge as Chaeyoung sat in her studio in front of a canvas of an evening. Colours she mixed reminded her of the brown of Jeongyeon’s eyes or the pink of her lips. The last straw was when she glided her paintbrush in a simple line and the image of Jeongyeon’s jawline was projected on the canvas. Chaeyoung threw her brush across the room in frustration, not caring where it went as she dug the heels of her hands into her eyes. No matter how hard she pressed, she still saw Jeongyeon on the back of her eyelids. It was like she was sealing the image deeper into her memory the harder she pushed. 

And then she stopped, remembering something. Jeongyeon had given Chaeyoung her card a few weeks ago. Chaeyoung had buried the moment away from thought, anger towards the idea of Jeongyeon snidely offering her art lessons overtaking and spilling into one with the rest of the flames in her mind. It created what felt like a pyre, the corpse of her old self scorched under the heat. 

Getting up, she walked over to her bag and started to rummage around for the card. It was small but she eventually found it, pulling it out and reading the side that wrote in printed text Jeongeon’s name, and the address and phone number of her gallery. 

Chaeyoung retrieved her phone from a table and checked the time. It was late, but that didn’t stop her hand from unlocking her phone and dialling the numbers like it had a mind of its own. She hit call and started to feel agitated. It took physical manifestations in the form of bouncing her leg and turning the card around in her hand. The line continued to ring as Chaeyoung distractingly turned the card over and then something caught her eye. There was something on the back. She hadn’t studied the card before, only stuffed it into her bag with a huff and forgot about it. Taking a good look at it now, there was another address on the back, but it was in scrawled handwriting instead of professionally printed text. Chaeyoung ran her thumb over the pen markings. The address didn’t resemble a gallery, but had a large number like it was in a block of flats.

Chaeyoung stopped for a few seconds, the dial tone narrating her thoughts of why Jeongyeon would give her her home address. Chaeyoung could only conclude that it was to gloat, so she could give her an art lesson from the comfort of home. The offer felt like Jeongyeon was tempting her to walk into the lion’s den and be completely at her mercy, but it didn’t put her off. Instead, Chaeyoung cancelled the call and started packing up. She didn’t feel like painting anymore, only wanted to storm across town to Jeongyeon’s house to give her a piece of her mind. 

So she decided to do just that.

She hadn’t brought a jacket to her studio, wearing an old blue button up shirt and sweatpants - clothes she didn’t care about getting paint on. She only had to make the short trip from her house, the car and then her studio. She didn’t think the cold air would have enough time to get her in those short seconds but as she parked up in the nearest car park to Jeongyeon’s house and drudged the rest of the way, she probably needed a jacket. But her anger powered through her, keeping her warm to a fiery degree until she banged on Jeongyeon’s front door. 

Seconds later Jeongyeon opened the door wearing an oversized white t-shirt and dark sweatpants. Her hair was pulled into a lazy ponytail and Chaeyoung took in the unusual sight of Jeongyeon in clothes other than tailored suit trousers and blazers. It made her look more relaxed and somehow less intimidating like her armour had disappeared. 

Although it didn’t make Chaeyoung forgive her. Nowhere close.

“I hate you.” Chaeyoung announced. She gave Jeongyeon little time to process the information before she barged into the apartment with a sense of determination.

“Umm, come on in.” Jeongyeon laughed out in confusion as she watched Chaeyoung enter her house, fumes of rage practically radiating off her.

Jeongyeon’s apartment was pretty big. Comfortable and Chaeyoung assumed, expensive. They were only in the hallway, but the wood flooring and white walls spoke volumes of her wealth. Chaeyoung sucked her teeth as her anger bloomed further.

“You’ve ruined my career, you know that right?” Chaeyoung nodded to her own words, but Jeongyeon stared back at her blankly.

“How have I-”

“How are you this fucking clueless?” Chaeyoung questioned as she furrowed her eyebrows., Turning on her heels, she walked further into Jeongyeon’s apartment. It was a silent invitation which Jeongyeon accepted, closing the front door and following her. Chaeyoung made her way through the lounge, barely taking anything in as she gravitated to the kitchen, the marble countertops and a fancy coffee machine practically laughed in her face.

“You walked into my life a month ago and have been nothing but cruel. You’ve given me unnecessarily horrible reviews like they don't matter when in fact they really do when my image and my career are on the line.” Another review like the past two Jeongyeon had given her and Chaeyoung wouldn’t be able to cope. They were a cruel assessment of Chaeyoung’s talents, ones that stung like it was a personal vendetta yet Chaeyoung had never done anything wrong to Jeongyeon in the years they’d known each other. Chaeyoung scoffed at the thought.

“I know you’re friends with Jihyo. I bet you’re friends with loads of people so why are you so mean to me? You were nice in high school, so _fucking_ nice. What happened to you?”

“I don’t think-” Jeongyeon tried again, but it sounded to Chaeyoung like Jeongyeon was trying to defend her actions and Chaeyoung didn’t want that. There was nothing to defend in her eyes. 

“No, you never think about other people. You think you’re so much better than me.” This got more of a reaction out of Jeongyeon, she tilted her head, raised her eyebrows and blinked a few times, obviously taken aback by the accusation. But then she slipped her hands into her sweatpants pockets, slipping into the role of unbothered nonchalance that Chaeyoung associated with the action and hated so much. 

“You’re always standing there so calm with your hands in your pockets and that _stupid_ look on your face.” Chaeyoung couldn’t take this anymore. She’d said what she came here to say and Jeongyeon hadn’t made any effort to give her an apology. “Do you know what? Fuck you and your opinion.”

Chaeyoung looked at Jeongyeon, about to storm out of her apartment and settle for a lifetime of seething hatred for the other woman, starting here in this moment with her eyes aflame, but something behind Jeongyeon made her completely stop in her tracks. 

It hit her like a ton of bricks, the smell of rain settling on the pavement in puddles. She was 21 again, fresh out of a shitty arts college and deciding where to take her future as she sat on a public bench. Her mouth hung slightly agape, walking towards the feeling like she was in a trance. Hypnotised by bright yellows dotted across lengths dark blues and greens. She was transported back to watching the world carry on across the river, but was simultaneously walking towards a canvas in Jeongyeon’s lounge.

“This is my painting...” Chaeyoung muttered to herself, completely transfixed. It hung on the wall above a long cabinet. As Chaeyoung walked closer to the cabinet, she saw a clock, a few art books and novelty coasters with Van Gogh’s Irises printed on them. There was nothing in the middle except the painting that hung above it, like a shrine of some sort. 

“I know.” Jeongyeon walked closer to Chaeyoung, her tone more sincere, “It’s one of the best pieces I own. I bought it a few years back.”

Although a few years ago, Chaeyoung would have remembered seeing Jeongyeon at one of her art shows, the memories of her high school experience flooding back. Maybe she’d bought it through someone else or maybe she’d been an anonymous buyer. It didn’t make any sense and neither did Chaeyoung’s painting living in Jeongyeon’s expensive apartment. She turned around to face Jeongyeon with a dumbfounded expression.

“How…? Why…?” Chaeyoung couldn’t form a sentence she was so confused, her mind full of too many questions. Jeongyeon looked back at her. She looked deflated but her face held a kind of softness, one that Chaeyoung had never seen directed at her before, always receiving smirks and harsh lines.

“I’m not mean. I was trying to be professional.” Jeongyeon’s voice wasn’t attacking like before, it was quiet and Chaeyoung heard the emotion there, but didn’t want it. 

“It definitely came across as mean.” Chaeyoung crossed her arms over her chest, keeping her anger locked in.

“I couldn’t exactly give you a good review because we played hockey together in high school years ago.” Jeongyeon joked, no vicious smirk in sight, “That wouldn’t be fair.”

“I don’t think any of this was fair.” Chaeyoung scoffed.

“I was trying to teach you something.” Jeongyeon reasoned again, but Chaeyoung bit back like all the times before. 

“This isn’t a teaching moment.” 

Jeongyeon huffed. She was trying to get through to Chaeyoung, but she wasn’t letting her. “Well, you’re so stubborn you couldn’t even let me if you wanted to.”

“No, because this is my career, Jeongyeon! Not something to mess around with.” Chaeyoung lost any regulation of her temper that she was holding onto. Her anger and irritation cracked and her emotions peeked through. She was so confused why Jeongyeon was being so cruel if she wanted to help her. It whirled around in her brain and met the unanswered question of her painting in Jeongyeon’s lounge, practically taking centre stage of the room.

“If I need to be taught…if you hated my show so much, why the _fu-ck_ do you have my artwork in your house?” She pointed back to the painting, but remained looking at Jeongyeon, waiting for her answer. It came in the form of Jeongyeon slowly stepping closer to her. No shoes clicking loudly against gallery flooring, just soft paddings of socks. 

“Because before, you were painting because you loved to paint, just like you used to in high school. Now you’re painting because you think you have something to prove. You have this reputation on your shoulders and you think you need to get better and better, but you’ve lost yourself and your charm within that. You’re painting for other people, for the praise and the reviews.” A few seconds pass as Jeongyeon searches Chaeyoung’s face, daring to go further, “You’re painting for me.”

It was another critique, but Chaeyoung didn’t see it as an insult this time. As much as she hated to admit it, Jeongyeon was right. She’d been clouded with desires of pleasing other people with her art and making compositions that would sell for money instead of painting what she wanted. She used to be fueled with passion and happiness when she painted, but now all she had was this anger or insecurities that only made her feel worse when she was finished. 

Worry clouded her vision and Jeongyeon could see it weigh heavy there. She reached a hand out of her pocket to slip around one of Chaeyoung’s hands, attempting to soothe her racing mind. Chaeyoung's gaze dropped down to their hands and gulped at the touch. It reminded her of how Jeongyeon had placed it on her side a few days before. It had burned into her skin, searing anger and frustration there but this touch built up something different in her chest. 

“I know you’re so much better than that. You have so much more to give if you just stop and search for it within yourself. You need to paint for yourself again. Find why you fell in love with painting and just… let yourself go.” The last few words came out in a whisper. They didn’t need to be any louder with how close they were and the softness made them more impactful. 

Raised voices, lost tempers and accusations had just been thrown around the room, filling it up with anger and noise. Now it was quiet and minds started to wander. 

When Jeongyeon had told Chaeyoung to let go she was referring to her art, but as she flicked her eyes back up to see Jeongyeon’s full lips so close to her, she thought about letting go in more ways than one. It felt like the gap between them was closing; only centimetres closer yet it still made her throat go dry. Chaeyoung swore Jeongyeon was leaning. Either Jeongyeon felt the tension there too and had the same heavy thoughts weaving through her mind or Chaeyoung’s own mind was mixing her wishes with reality and skewing it. 

Parting her lips a little, Chaeyoung’s tongue dipped out to lick the corner of her lips. She told herself she did it because of the innocent dryness of her mouth and lip, not because of the way Jeongyeon held her hand just that bit tighter. She lost all hope that it was the former when Jeongyeon’s eyes came down to look at her lips. She lost all hope of any coherence thought. With Jeongyeon’s gaze on her lips, her shallow breath on her skin, and her perfume filling her nose Chaeyoung only wanted one thing: Jeongyeon. 

Moving her head up, Chaeyoung connected their lips. It was soft at first, but that barely lasted a second as all of their frustrations during the argument spilt into the kiss. The frustration transformed as Chaeyoung kissed Jeongyeon deeper. No longer radiated in her chest in the form of anger, but trickling down lower and settling in her lower stomach, starting a different fire there. 

She felt herself getting backed up by Jeongyeon, moving her hands to the smalls of Chaeyoung’s back as she walked them. They barely moved far as Chaeyoung collided with the cabinet. She yelped into Jeongyeon’s lips, faltering the kiss, as she felt the furniture unexpectedly press against her. A louder yelp escaped her as Jeongyeon’s hands shifted lower, cupping where her ass met her thighs and lifting her up onto the cabinet. 

Chaeyoung was given barely any time to adjust to the weight off her feet, meanwhile Jeongyeon was enjoying the height adjustment. She broke the kiss in favour of trailing little ones down to Chaeyoung’s pulse point; hands coming up off Chaeyoung’s ass to open the first few buttons at the top of Chaeyoung’s shirt. She wanted to explore further down to Chaeyoung’s collarbone, paint bright purple and red marks in patterns there with her teeth and tongue. 

So she did just that and Chaeyoung thought she was about to see stars right then. Every time Jeongyeon sucked another mark onto her neck and ran her tongue over it to calm the area with artistic flair, she didn’t get angry like other times Jeongyeon used her tongue against her in quick and harsh remarks. Pain didn’t fester in her chest, Jeongyeon’s mouth soothed it, letting out quiet whimpers and she was hungry for more. 

Chaeyoung’s back arched a little at every bite and kiss, instinctively gripping at the material of Jeongyeon’s t-shirt. She felt Jeongyeon's hands wander again while her mouth was still busy, unbuttoning the rest of her shirt and discovering her exposed chest, nipples straining in the cold. If Chaeyoung couldn’t get the thought of Jeongyeon’s hand simply pressed against her side out of her mind for the past few days, she definitely wouldn’t be forgetting the way Jeongyeon ran her hands up and down her sides with a more possessive force. And she’d definitely file away for a later date how Jeongyeon trailed her lips down to her chest, extending her work to making speckled red marks along the flesh there, before briefly taking a nipple in her mouth. Chaeyoung gasped loudly. 

Finished with her masterpiece for the time being and missing Chaeyoung’s lips against hers, Jeongyeon moved back up to kiss her. 

Lost in the feeling, it was Chaeyoung’s turn to explore. Diving underneath the soft material of Jeongyeon’s t-shirt, her hands flattened and then squeezed at flesh almost like she was moulding clay. She felt the ways Jeongyeon reacted to her hands on her skin, breathing with her mouth open in between kisses whenever Chaeyoung ran her nails up her stomach - her mouth hung open long enough for Chaeyoung to bite her bottom lip, earning her a deep kiss in reward. 

Jeongyeon’s biggest reaction yet came when Chaeyoung’s hands reached her chest and cupped her breasts through the fabric of her bra. The action was desperate as was the groan that left Jeongyeon’s lip and the way her hips bucked forwards hard at the feeling. Chaeyound didn’t think her touch would ever have an effect on Jeongyeon. Her words never had, always left Jeongyeon challenging her, but right now Jeongyeon seemed very affected by her. And Chaeyoung was just as affected by Jeongyeon’s reaction. With her hands underneath her shirt, Chaeyoung was just about ready to tug it or tear it off. Either way she wanted it off and out of the way, wanted her skin pressed against skin, not cotton no matter how soft it was. 

Jeongyeon understood Chaeyoung’s silent demand, feeling Chaeyoung’s hands bunch up the fabric. So Jeongyeon reluctantly moved away from Chaeyoung to pull her shirt off. She received the reaction she wanted from Chaeyoung. Eyes roamed the new expansion of skin offered to her, down from her collarbone to where Jeongyeon’s sweatpants were tied around her hips, and despite Jeongyeon still wearing her bra, the sight made her breathing heavy and her thighs ache for the body slotted in between them.

Minutes ago she had convinced herself that she didn’t want to see Jeongyeon again. She was happy to be as far away from her as possible and on the other side of the gallery if she had to, but now, Chaeyoung couldn’t crave for Jeongyeon to be any closer to her if she tried. 

Tugging her in, pressing their bodies flush against each other and her lips flushed against Jeongyeon, their kisses became even more heated than before. Her breath was laboured and when she felt Jeongyeon’s hands flirt along the fabric of her waistband, Chaeyoung let out a loud moan at the thought of what could follow. 

“Jeongyeon,” Chaeyoung mumbled with want. At this Jeongyeon dipped her thumbs under the waistband of Chaeyoung’s sweats, teasing the action Chaeyoung wanted so bad.

“Can I..” Jeongyeon didn’t need to finish her sentence for Chaeyoung’s hips to start bucking, chasing more of Jeongyeon’s hands pressed against her skin.

“ _Please_...” Chaeyoung practically whined and although deeply affected by Chaeyoung’s word, feeling the tone sink into her skin, a smirk crossed Jeongyeon’s face. Chaeyoung didn’t hate the look nearly as much as all the times she had before. It wasn’t snide, it was flirty. Jeongyeon was revelling in Chaeyoung’s desperate state and all Chaeyoung wanted was for her to hurry up. 

Jeongyeon soaked up the moment a little longer - sure to bring it up again if Chaeyoung ever shouted to her about her smug expression - and then pulled down Chaeyoung’s sweats and underwear in a few tugs. They were successfully down at her ankles with a little help from Chaeyoung shifting her weight on the cabinet, but she far from minded. 

At the exposure, she felt cold aside from the hot spots emanating from Jeongyeon’s splayed hands on her hips again. And then she felt warmth spread all around her as Jeongyeon slid her hand further down, finally meeting heat. 

“ _Fuck,”_ The curse rolled from Chaeyoung’s lips in a loud moan when Jeongyeon pressed against her clit and she hoped for her sake the cabinet wasn’t expensive. 

Then the thought was quickly plucked out of mind as two fingers slipped into her, the repeated curse word falling through parted lips, more desperately this time. Chaeyoung rolled her hips and arched her spine, growing a few inches taller in pleasure from her previously slumped position. This was what it must be like to be Jeongyeon. Inches taller than Chaeyoung - albeit without the help from the cabinet Chaeyoung sat on right now - looking down at her with some kind of power. Yet Chaeyoung had no power. She was putty to Jeongyeon’s grip on her waist and fingers entering her at a pace that quickened as seconds passed. She didn’t want any power if this was what powerlessness felt like: pure ecstasy. 

She didn’t have enough time to feel embarrassed about how sensitive she was right now. The pressure was starting to pile and as it danced in her lower stomach, Chaeyoung reached for something to hold onto to ground herself. A hand clutched in between Jeongyeon’s shoulder blades and another searched for something else, reaching slightly behind her to rest on the wood of the cabinet top. Another push of Jeongyeon’s fingers, thumb brushing against her clit, and her arm moved back. Her fingers touched the uneven surface of layers of oil paints. Dark blues and greens against her palm as she laid it flat on the canvas. She knew she had spent hours painting this piece with so much precision and nostalgic thought, but now with Jeongyeon’s shallow breathing in her ear, she didn’t care. She needed something to push back against, to keep herself up whilst she thrust her hips back into Jeongyeon’s palm, chasing that high. 

Jeongyeon felt Chaeyoung’s desperation, in the way she started to whine in regular intervals; started to grip her back tighter; started to clench around her fingers. She felt that desperation herself at the situation and Chaeyoung’s dishevelled state, grinding against one of Chaeyoung’s thighs. It was messy, barely anything romantic about it, not for their first time anyway, but she never wanted anything as much as she craved Chaeyoung right now. She never wanted to discover how someone reacted to her touch than right now with Chaeyoung in her hold. 

“Let yourself go, Chaeyoung.”

And Chaeyoung followed Jeongyeon’s words over the peak in a puddle of breathy whimpers and rolling hips - hearing her name thick with lust passing Jeongyeon’s lips definitely helped. Her hands balled into fists as she rode out her high, clutching at skin and paint on canvas. Eyes screwed shut, she couldn’t focus on anything let alone Jeongyeon, despite the teeth she felt nipping at her neck. If she had opened them, she would have found Jeongyeon rutting against her thigh, finding a spot that hit her just right which led to the same look of pleasure on her face, but buried into Chaeyoung’s neck. 

Chaeyoung didn’t know how long it took her to resurface, eyes screwed shut for what felt like lifetimes of light bursting behind her eyelids, but she started to catch her breath again and her legs to feel not so boneless anymore. The feeling of Jeongyeon’s lips kissing with a rediscovered softness at her neck and pulling her fingers out of her to squeeze at her thigh brought her back. 

She opened her eyes and moved her hand from the painting behind her to settle at the back of Jeongyeon’s hair - strands had fallen from her ponytail and she twirled them around her fingers. Her soft touch pulled Jeongyeon away from her neck and Chaeyoung was met with eyes no longer overflowing with lust - not the one she’d seen minutes before whilst she drew pleasure from her or the one that she had mistaken for superiority many times before in art galleries - but something softer. It made her eyes glow. 

“I’m sorry for coming here unannounced and shouting at you.” Chaeyoung said under hushed breath and Jeongyeon couldn’t help letting out a soft chuckle. After everything that had just happened, Chaeyoung wanted to talk about how they’d been at each other’s throats, and not in a sexy way. Jeongyeon tucked some hair behind Chaeyoung’s ear. 

“You shouldn’t apologise. I’m the one who’s been so horrible to you for a month.” Jeongyeon apologised and Chaeyoung knew it was true. She could see the way it weighed on her face, almost wincing at the thought of how harsh she’d been. “I'm really sorry, Chaeyoung. I should have been more upfront with you. Can you forgive me and maybe we can try this out again?”

“Hmm, this is a start.” Chaeyoung answered nonchalantly, attempting to bring up the mood. 

“Oh really?” Jeongyeon’s tone challenged Chaeyoung’s words. Hands ran up Chaeyoung’s thighs promising another round of a way Jeongyeon could apologise. At the touch, Chaeyoung caught on to Jeongyeon’s meaning, her eyes going wide. Maybe she should have changed the wording.

“Oh no no, I didn’t mean like that,” a flush spread across her face, instantly feeling flustered and panicked. She was embarrassed but then was even more so at the words passing her lips which made it sound like she hadn’t just enjoyed her time pressed up against the canvas on the wall and wanted it to never happen again. Chaeyoung was sure she wouldn’t be able to think of much else after tonight. “Unless you want to.”

Jeongyeon simply huffed out a laugh at Chaeyoung’s flustered state. It was incredibly endearing and couldn’t help moving a hand to Chaeyoung’s chin, quietening her panic with a kiss. It was like their first kiss before all the lust coursed through their brains and overtook them. Except this time it was reassuring, asking Chaeyoung to calm down and forget about everything but right now. 

“You know I didn’t write my address on the card to taunt you.” Jeongyeon said as she pulled away, a little bit of nervousness coming through, “I thought we could paint together sometime?”

It made Chaeyoung smile at how much of a facade Jeongyeon’s attitude was whenever she had seen her at exhibitions. Jeongyeon’s performance always offered Chaeyoung very little about the older woman, which Chaeyoung moulded into a personality of cruelty, but in reality, she was so much more than that. She was someone who wanted Chaeyoung to learn, to grow, to see the best come out of her, and Chaeyoung couldn’t wait to explore more of that caring side of her, even if it did come hand in hand with her bite. Chaeyoung wanted it all. 

“Yeah sure, I’d like that.” Chaeyoung replied and to this Jeongyeon’s expression tore into one of sparkling eyes and smiling teeth. 

“Do you want to do it now?” Chaeyoung suddenly became very aware of her surroundings and her state of undress. She looked down to see her sweats and underwear on the floor, having fallen off her ankles minutes into Jeongyeon’s exploring touch. “Why don’t you go get cleaned up and you can borrow some of my clothes?”

“I don’t think they’ll fit me, you’re a lot taller than me.”

“You have paint on this anyway.” Jeongyeon pulled at the fabric of Chaeyoung’s open shirt, picking at a particular paint stain. Chaeyoung hadn’t come here with the intention of looking nice, but now she wasn’t planning on screaming at Jeongyeon any longer and was planning on staying a while instead of never coming back, maybe she’d accept some clothes to feel more comfortable. 

“Are you sure we’re not gonna paint and you’re just gonna make fun of me again?” Chaeyoung huffed with a pout, kicking her feet a little against the cabinet. She was partly joking. 

“I would never.” Jeongyeon shook her head, “Not again. You’re really talented, Chaeyoung.”

“You’re talented too.” Chaeyoung wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Jeongyeon’s cheeks heated, closing her eyes momentarily at the comment. Jeongyeon stepped back from the cabinet letting Chaeyoung hop off it, offering a hand if she needed any help or felt the pressure of gravity too much for her jelly legs. 

Jeongyeon gave her clothes and Chaeyoung soon padded into the en suite of her bedroom. In the bright light of the tiled room Chaeyoung inspected herself. Dressed in Jeongyeon’s hoodie, a few sizes too big for her and cycle shorts that barely peeked out from beneath. She then tugged down the neckline, inspecting the hickeys Jeongyeon had left there. Large bites of purple worked with smaller ones in a composition that trailed down to her breasts as Chaeyoung pulled the neck of the hoodie down further. Maybe Jeongyeon was a painter after all.

Chaeyoung laughed at herself and walked out of the bathroom into the kitchen where she found Jeongyeon wearing different clothes and pouring glasses of wine. 

“I thought maybe we could paint each other.” Jeongyeon gestured with a glass to the lounge where canvas and paints lay on the coffee table. Chaeyoung laughed at the cliche date idea. She didn’t want to push the idea of a date but she was excited to spend time with Jeongyeon and see what her artistic skills were actually like. Looking at all the art supplies that Jeongyeon had just lying around her house, Chaeyoung was sure she was an amazing artist but she still hoped she could get in a few “constructive” comments about Jeongyeon’s painting of her. She hoped it would lead to more kisses and heated touches. 

As Chaeyoung settled down on the floor, Jeongyeon came over and offered her a glass of wine which she took with a sweet smile. Jeongyeon then wandered off to the cabinet Chaeyoung had previously been situated on to collect coasters for the wine. She stopped there for a second. 

“Hey, you chipped my painting!” Jeongyeon picked away at the small bit of paint that was missing on the canvas and had landed on the cabinet top. She turned to Chaeyoung with a pout. 

“Actually it’s mine. I painted it.” Chaeyoung reminded Jeongyeon as she filtered through the paintbrushes on the coffee table. 

“I bought it so it’s mine now.” Jeongyeon challenged back and then dramatically pouted even more with a whine, “You touched my masterpiece.”

“Well, you shouldn’t have touched this one.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Feedback would be very much appreciated because this was a little out of my comfort zone so follow me on twitter (@ultjeonghyo), lemme know what you thought in the comments or send me a cc (link pinned in my twitter acc). I also have a Ko-Fi if you want to donate, but absolutely no pressure!
> 
> See you next time


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